Wedding F.a.q.
Questions? Wondering about the specifics of our wedding photography? Check these out and see if your answer lies below. As always, if you have other questions, feel free to contact us.
I don’t see specific pricing or packages; how can I get an idea of what you charge and what you offer?
We understand the stress of finding a qualified photographer for what may be the most important day of your life, and because of this, we prefer to build custom packages for each couple–our philosophy is that every wedding is different, so our packages and services should be tailored to each individual event. This allows us to remain flexible to be able to help you create a package that suits your needs and makes sure you get exactly what you’re looking for from your wedding photography. We can do anything from a simple beach wedding with a handful of guests all the way up to a smashing multi-day wedding gala, and we like to approach each wedding in an individualized way when it comes to pricing, prints, and packages. We do not charge by the hour; instead, we build custom packages based on the size, scope, and feel of what your day will be. Just send us a quick e-mail or give us a call to get the process started and we will be happy to take it from there.
When we book you for our wedding, will we actually be getting you, or do you send an employee to photograph our event?
For every single event and portrait booked with our company, you will have our owner and principal photographer, Rachel, not a person you’ve never met/spoken with. We too have heard the horror stories about photographers and other service providers who secure an event with clients, and then hire and send someone the client has never met for the actual day of the wedding or event instead of showing up themselves. This is definitely not the case with us. Depending on the size and scale of your booked event, you might have one or two of Rachel’s assistants in addition to her, but all of our staff members are personally hired and trained/vetted by Rachel before being authorized to work at any event booked by our company. Rest assured, when you book us for your event, you don’t have to worry about a stranger showing up on your important day! Rachel and her team will be with you every step of the way to deliver a personalized professional experience, from the initial booking of your event, to the pre-planning, to the photography and the post-production!
Do I have to pay a deposit to hold the date of my wedding?
Yes, you will have a deposit due upon signing the contract to secure our services for your wedding; generally, the deposit is equal to 1/4th of your total fee. Your deposit is non-refundable and will guarantee that we will book the day for you and be available for the specified time frame of your wedding. We only book ONE WEDDING PER DAY, so your deposit ensures that we will be committed to you and only you on the day of your event. We will also provide you with a copy of your contract that will be signed by both the couple and our company, outlining the specifics of your package and services.
I would like to pay for my wedding package in installments; is this a possibility?
Definitely. We can work out an installment plan with you and bill you in stages to make paying your balance a little easier on the pocketbook; you always have the option of paying in full or paying in stages, whatever works better for you. The only stipulation to this is that your full balance is due no later than two weeks prior to your wedding. We do not charge an installment fee or interest and we won’t penalize you for paying off your balance early, either, so you can rest easy knowing that paying with an installment plan won’t cost you anything more than paying it all at once.
How long after my wedding will it be before I can view my images?
We’ll begin working on the post-production process as soon as we’re through with the wedding itself and normally we’ll put images into your private viewing gallery in stages as they are ready. Generally, we will begin sharing previews with you a few days after your wedding, and it will be roughly 8 to 10 weeks before you’ll have your entire completed album. The 8 to 10 week estimate is fairly standard turn-around time for us, but this can fluctuate depending on our schedule and workload; sometimes it’ll be faster than that and sometimes a touch longer, but not to worry, we’ll be in contact with you on the status of your album throughout the process. Of course, the size and scope of the wedding does play a part in the amount of time it’ll take for your album to be completed, and we prefer a very ‘hands-on’ approach to editing something as important as a wedding, so we can assure you that while it’ll take a bit of time for your album to be 100% done, you can be certain that the utmost care and attention to detail is going into the process of preparing your images for viewing.
I’m interested in adding a session to my package for engagement/bridal/trash the dress/boudoir photos. Do you offer the option to add these services if I’m also hiring you to photograph my wedding?
Absolutely! If you’re interested in any of these extra photo sessions, they can be added to any wedding package, and in many cases, we’re happy to offer a slight discount on the fees for these sessions when they’re booked with a wedding package, so you’ll save a bit versus booking them à la carte. For more details, just let us know what services you have your eye on when we’re working on your wedding package info with you.
Can our child/children or dog/cat/other pet be involved in our engagement photography?
Sure! We love animals and kids, and we would be happy to incorporate your children and pets into some of the photos during your engagement photography. We only ask that if you don’t plan on having them in ALL of your photos from the session that you bring a friend or family member to help take care of them while we’re working on the photos that will include just the two of you.
Will you provide me with the raw/unedited image files from my session?
Except in cases of low resolution unedited files for the purposes of choosing your initial photos (as in cases where you’re working with a tight deadline, such as needing to choose a first set of images for printing save the dates or announcements, etc), we do not provide the unedited or raw versions of your photos. We think of it like this: if you went for a great meal at a fantastic restaurant, you wouldn’t want or expect the chef to deliver the ingredients for your dinner to your table and expect you to assemble them yourself; part of your experience and expectation in that scenario would be to have the chef use his skills and talents to properly and thoroughly prepare your meal and deliver it to you ready to enjoy. That’s how we approach preparing your images and why we don’t deliver them to you unedited; we make sure every image is ready to show off for you when you receive it. We’ll do the heavy lifting of editing, perfecting, and polishing your photos so that all you have to do is enjoy them!
Do you offer photo albums, invitations, guest books, or print packages for friends and family?
We are happy to offer custom photo albums as well as engagement announcements, “save the date” cards, invitations, photo “thank-you” cards, wall portraits, and additional print packages; for specific pricing on these items, please contact us or ask during your consultation. These products can be ordered à la carte or worked into any wedding package.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? Need more information? We’re here to help. hello@rachelsullivanphotography.com